Your Performance Feedback

Performance management is designed to link individual and strategic goals, involve managers, supervisors and employees in the performance appraisal process, motivate employees, give them an opportunity to perform to their full potential and hold them accountable for meeting performance standards.

DFAS has a formal performance management program. Each year performance appraisals are conducted and employees may be rewarded for their contribution to the DFAS mission.

Though this formal program is in place, employees should always be seeking feedback on ways to improve upon their performance. One critical place to obtain that feedback is through your supervisor or team lead.

During your first 90 days, we encourage you to schedule a meeting with your supervisor or team lead to discuss your performance and obtain ideas on how to improve upon the strides you've made to contribute to your organization.

Below is a suggested "plan of action" to approach this first performance discussion. Download the performance feedback guide. (PDF - 4/29/2010 - 16 KB)

Before the meeting

• Review your performance plan and identify the competencies required for your position.
• Conduct a self-assessment to identify where you believe you have strengths as well as where you have "gaps" in performance.
• Identify education, training, certifications and any other developmental activities that could improve gap deficiencies or capitalize on your strengths.  Resources available to assist you include organizational training plans, DFAS Course Catalog, and/or the Growth and Learning ePortal Community.
• Schedule the meeting with your supervisor or team lead, at least one workday in advance and let him or her know that the purpose of the meeting is to obtain feedback regarding your performance.
• Prepare your supervisor or team lead for the meeting. Attached in your meeting request, provide him or her a copy of your performance plan, your identified gaps, and your draft development plan to bridge those gaps. Set aside sufficient time for the meeting: 30-45 minutes.
• Arrange a private setting for the meeting to take place with minimal interruptions.

During the meeting

• Place the emphasis on your interest in providing valued support to your organization by continuously improving upon your performance.
• Go over your strengths and the gaps in performance that you see, as well as your plans to bridge those gaps.
• Ask your supervisor or team lead for feedback, see if he or she perceives the same strengths and gaps and can add to or modify your development plan.

After the meeting

Update your Individual Development Plan to reflect suggested development activities, so that those learning events get funded for the next year.